Übersicht vs Desktop Widgets
Übersicht
tracesof.netDesktop Widgets
desktopwidgets.appSide by side
| Figure | Übersicht | Desktop Widgets |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $1.08/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Desktop Widget Software | 8.0 (#3) | 9.0 (#1) |
| License | The maker releases Übersicht under the GNU General Public License version 3 or, at the user's option, any later version. | The pricing page says licenses are perpetual, cryptographically signed, and hardware-bound. |
| Support | The maker directs users to GitHub documentation and issue reporting, and offers sponsorship and one-time donations as ways to support development. | Professional includes email support; Enterprise includes priority support and an enterprise support SLA. |
| Widget development | The GitHub documentation says Übersicht watches the widget directory for file changes and displays UI changes immediately. | Developers can build TypeScript widgets against @desktopwidgets/sdk, with Claude, GPT, or another model. |
Plans
Desktop Widgets
- Free TrialFree
- Professional Maintenance$12.99 a year
- Professional$34.99, paid once
- Enterprise Maintenance$49.99 a year
- Enterprise$149.99, paid once
In their own words
Übersicht
Übersicht is a free macOS app that places the output of system commands on the desktop in small widgets. Widgets can present information as tables, charts, or graphs, adapt to screen sizes, and are written in HTML5, JavaScript, and React JSX. The app includes a gallery and installation instructions for community widgets, spanning categories such as system monitoring, clocks, calendars, weather, RSS feeds, networking, and media. For development, Übersicht watches the widget directory and updates the display when files change. Commands run at a configurable interval, once per second by default, or can be set not to refresh automatically. A built-in local proxy supports Ajax requests to external sites, and AppleScript scripting is available. The download page specifies macOS 12 or later, and the app is released under the GNU General Public License version 3 or a later version at the user's option. Widgets can execute arbitrary code, so the maker advises checking their source; malicious code cannot be ruled out.
Desktop Widgets
Desktop Widgets is a marketplace of desktop mini-apps for trading, research, monitoring, and automation. Its site describes widgets being installed in one click and running natively across Windows, macOS, and Linux, while also promoting a Windows runtime and saying macOS and Linux are coming soon. Traders, operators, researchers, and developers are named as intended users who can combine mini-apps into an always-on workstation. Developers can make TypeScript widgets with @desktopwidgets/sdk, using Claude, GPT, or another model; the listed build and publishing tools include an MCP server, REST API, and CLI. Uploads are pending review, and automatic publication through signing is planned for Phase 3. The runtime is described as sandboxed by default, with gate-enforced capabilities. The Free Trial costs 0.00 USD for 7 days and includes all 31 widgets and themes and customization, with three device activations and no credit card required. Professional is $34.99, paid once purchase; Enterprise is $149.99, paid once purchase. Both paid plans include one year of updates, then optional paid maintenance renewals for further updates.